Seeing people based on color is not always racist

It may seem unseemly; it may seem unfortunate, and some might even call it wrong for folks to limit their dating and marriage prospects that way. I agree that it’s lamentable. What you can’t argue though, is whether it’s natural, because the desire to be with others that look and think like you seems to be a fundamental characteristic of human behavior.

If this subconscious desire is truly racist, is it something today’s social tinkerers—the progressives who believe that human nature is like a huge chemistry set, and by just changing the equations, they will create a perfect humanity, free of hunger, suffering and violence—can fix through policy? No. You can’t change most things about human nature that way. There are so many nuances to the issue of race relations that it’s impossible for policy to get at them all, and I would argue it’s not even desirable that we try. Just imagine a bunch of liberal Ivy League grads sitting around a Senate committee conference table to come up with a plan to eradicate subtle racism in American dating. It boggles the mind.

We seem to have lost sight of the real and socially relevant definition of racism: the belief that some people are inferior and, as such, deserve less civil rights protections than others purely because of the color of their skin. And that is what we should deal with, not some perceived covert racism characterized by interpersonal relationships, but overt racism expressed to the detriment of its intended victims.

Is it true that everyone who marries within their own race or culture or ethnicity specifically does so because they believe others are inferior? Of course not. The real question is—and indeed, the only question that matters from a public policy standpoint—would these same people deny someone employment in their workplace or otherwise repudiate the full humanity of that person because of his or her skin color? That’s what matters; that’s what we as a society need to be focused on.

Armstrong Williams is the author of the brand-new book “Reawakening Virtues.” Additional content can be found on RightSideWire.com. Come join the discussion live 4-5 p.m. EST at www.livestream.com/armstrongwilliams or tune in 4-5 p.m. EST on S.C. WGCV, Sirius/XM Power 110, 6-7 p.m. and 5-6 a.m. EST. Become a fan on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.